One of my favorite things to do is to email or text my friend Rocky with a suggestion of some music to listen to. It’s like we’re in Jr. High, trading tapes. Objectively speaking, it’s pretty cute, this thing we do. Check out his “songs” list here.

Here is a list of the “Top 5 Songs” I sent his way or he sent mine over the course of the year. If we still lived in the age of cassettes, I would have worn my tape thin on these tunes.

In alphabetical order, my nominees for Song of the Year are:

1) Adele’s “Rolling In the Deep”

I mean, come on. That voice.

“You had my heart inside of  your hand/and you played it to the beat”

2) Admiral Fallow’s “Squealing Pigs”

Here’s the deal: If you’re from the British Isles, I will probably enjoy your tunes (cf – The Frames, Del Amitri, Mumford, David Gray, Frightened Rabbit, etc.). It’s just that simple.

“Cause sometimes it’s who, not what you do/Just because your father did doesn’t mean that you should too”

3) Fitz and the Tantrum’s “Moneygrabber”

These are the coolest damn cats around.

“Cause I don’t pay twice for a cheap dime whore”

4) James Vincent McMorrow’s “We Don’t Eat”

I stayed with Rocky at his place earlier this year and awoke one morning to this song on repeat. I’ve been a fan ever since. I’m glad to see that we share a Song of the Year favorite.

“I’d rather be working for something than praying for the rain”

5) Josh Garrel’s “Farther Along”

This song has captured my imagination like no other this year. So much so that I wrote about it in my book Theology is Art.

“I wondered why the good man dies, the bad man thrives, and Jesus cries cause he love them both/We’re all just castaways in need of rope”

Honorable Mention: Pentatonix’s “Video Killed the Radio Star”

I know this wasn’t an official release, but this song was sung more times in my house this year than anything else. I can’t wait for their debut album next year.